20. Briar

Bear was an acquired taste,as it turned out, and Briar wasn't desperate enough to learn it.The very first bite had his face twisting into an involuntary grimace.He chewed carefully, trying to avoid as many taste buds as possible.The strangely sweet, gamey flavor was revolting—or maybe it was all in his head.Maybe he just hated the idea of eating Winnie the Pooh.

But Derek had gone out of his way to set the table and light a candle, surprisingly romantic for a man who still had grease stains beneath his fingernails.So, Briar forced himself to cut another small piece.He chewed methodically, silently squirming and trying not to reveal his discomfort.

Derek took one look at his expression and laughed."Not quite your thing, huh?"

Briar glanced up, caught red-handed, fork halfway to his mouth.

"No, it's good," he lied. Then he glanced down at the perfectly cooked, soft, slightly grainy slab of meat on his plate and swallowed hard."I just…I'm a picky meat eater," he admitted.

Derek's brows rose in surprise."Would've been useful to know earlier."

"I didn't want to spoil the mood." Briar set down his fork and took a large gulp of wine.

Derek's lips twitched, struggling to mask his amusement. Briar's gaze skittered sideways to hide his embarrassment. He was so busy staring at Sabbath, gleefully tearing a stuffed toy to bits, that he didn't notice when Derek moved. The clink of stacking plates caught him by surprise.

"What are you doing?" he asked, startled, as Derek pushed his chair back and stood.

He expected a snide comment, maybe something about city kids or snowflakes, but Derek just tossed a crooked smile over his shoulder and said, "We're skipping straight to dessert."

"Is that a euphemism?" Briar asked suspiciously.

Derek chuckled and opened the breadbox on the counter, producing a bright pink box with the cheery face of a smiling pig.

"Real dessert," he said with a grin."Grab the wine. The best place to enjoy peach pie is on the porch."

The porch was plain but tidy, lit by an old orange bulb and an electric bug zapper.The sky was the precise shade of midnight blue that only happened right after sunset.Trees and mountains looked like black cut-outs against the backdrop of the velvety sky.Crickets chirped, and something crackled in the distance.A woodland animal, Briar guessed.

He sank into a massive rocking chair, relaxing into the rich green scent of the spring night.There was a bite in the air, and the hint of distant woodsmoke, but it was still warm enough that Derek didn"t look cold in his t-shirt.

Derek handed him a paper plate filled with a slice of pie so big it could count as dinner.The crust was flaky and buttery and stuffed with peaches oozing in golden juice.

Briar moaned at his first bite.

"Oh man, why is country cooking so good?" His lashes fluttered in ecstasy."This is why I've gained ten pounds since moving here."

"Looks good on you," Derek said idly, avoiding eye contact and forking up a bite of his own.

They ate side by side, chairs pulled so close that their arms brushed whenever theyshifted.The companionable silence felt friendly and intimate in a way Briar had neverexperienced.He genuinely enjoyed time withDerek.It wasn't just a rush of physical attraction or desperate fear of beingalone.Just the simple pleasure of sharing a moment with someone he caredabout.

Maybe that's what real relationships were all about, hemused.Not grand gestures or dangerously stupid liaisons, but these quiet moments of simpleconnection.

He toyed with Derek's sleeve as they ate, teasing the smooth, warm skin beneath his cuff.Derek allowed it without comment, and it felt like winning the lottery.Not just because he had the most gorgeous body Briar had ever seen in real life, but because he'd given Briar permission to touch.It felt like petting a feral cat.Earning enough trust to get close was something worth bragging about.

"What's with that face?" Derek asked, and Briar realized he'd been grinning like a fool.

"Just happy," he said, stroking his bicep with an idle finger."Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot."

"Why did you say kissing was never a part of your fantasies?Do you not like it?"

Derek paused with his fork halfway to his mouth, then he set it back down with a sigh."I like it fine," he said. "Better than fine when it's with you.It's just that I never really thought of it.Whenever I dared to search for porn on our old dial-up, the actors didn't exactly focus on romance."

"Yeah, but that was a long time ago," Briar protested."Porn's evolved."

"I haven't looked at that stuff in a long time," Derek said wryly.

"What?" Briar couldn't keep the shock off his face."But…why? You're a grown man.You've got direct access to it in your pocket all the time."

Derek shrugged, elaborately casual."It just seemed best not to taunt myself with something I couldn't ever have."

Briar's mouth was already open, ready to shoot the first dozen outraged responses that crossed his mind, when he suddenly thought better of it.Derek seemed to have gone out of his way to choose a restrictive, joyless life for no obvious reason.It hurt to hear about him punishing himself, year after year, just for having the same human desires that his family accepted in his younger brother.But something about his tight expression had Briar biting his tongue.He recognized a painful, tender spot, and his finely honed survival instinct told him to avoid it at all costs.In his experience, prodding at the minefield of other people's wounds only ever caught him in the blast radius.

"It's okay," he said quickly, rushing to fill the awkward silence. "You've got a chance now. That's all that matters, right?"

"Yeah." Derek's voice was thick.He reached out to cup Briar's face, stroking his cheekbone with the rough edge of his thumb."I just hate being the inexperienced one here.Whenever I look at you, I feel this…this need to take care of you—"

"I can take care of myself," Briar interrupted sharply.

"I know." Derek shushed him by pressing his thumb against Briar's lower lip."It's not about that. You deserve someone who can give you everything, and I can't.I don't even know how. I'm flying blind, and it makes me feel stupid."

"I bet this is the first time you've ever had to admit that," Briar quipped, hiding behind a veil of humor so Derek couldn't see how touched he was.

"You've been nothing but firsts," Derek said wryly.

"Yeah, but—but so have you," Briar blurted, scooting to the edge of his seat."Don't you see? I've never dated anyone like you.Never even known anyone like you.Everyone else always made me feel young and stupid and—and—frivolous.And now…compared to you, I am all those things, but you've never once made me feel that way.You don't give me pretty words, but for the first time in my life, I feel…seen.Wanted. Just the way I am."

"You are." Derek spoke so softly that Briar was forced to look closely to make sure he heard it right.Then Derek met his gaze, unflinching, and his eyes were so green and so direct that Briar knew he hadn't gotten it wrong."I don't think I've ever wanted something so much."

"Then take me," Briar said breathlessly."As much as you want for as long as you want.I'm yours."

His heart was racing as he slipped out of his chair and slid onto Derek's lap.He took the forgotten plate from Derek's hand and kissed him before he could think twice.He'd seduced and been seduced, but the stakes had never felt so high.

Derek's arm instantly encircled his waist, pulling him close, sheltering him in his warmth and strength.He didn't hesitate. Even if he felt lost, his hands were sure and steady.The only sign that he was affected was the rapid pulse throbbing at the base of his throat, and the swelling hardness pressing up against Briar's aching balls.

There was nothingunsureor tentative in his kiss.The last barriers between them had melted away, and in that moment, there was only the two of them and a connection that felt pure and rare.He wasn't religious, but suddenly, he felt like he could be.Someone had to be watching out for him, guiding him to this place he shouldn't be, with this man he shouldn't love.Because he did love him. He felt it deep in his soul, in a way he'd never experienced before when he'd been playing atromance.Derek Owens was everything Briar could never be, and yet, there was something about him that felt like amirror.

"I'd do anything for you," he blurted, clasping Derek's unshaven cheeks between hispalms."I want you somuch."

Derek's smile was crooked. "You've already got me," he saidcynically."However little I can giveyou."

"I wouldn't exactly say little," Briar quipped, reaching between them to palm the hard bulge behind Derek's zipper.

Derek chuckled, a low rumble that shivered down Briar's spine, but it morphed into a groan when Briar ground down on him with the heel of his hand. Heat pooled in Briar's lower belly, turning him loose and boneless.It was so easy to slide off Derek's lap and melt into a puddle at his feet.

"You don't have to," Derek protested, threading his fingers in Briar's hair and holding him back.

"Oh, I want to," Briar insisted, licking his lips in anticipation.He had the terrible suspicion that most of Derek's previous lovers had regarded it as some unpleasant chore, and it made him irrationally angry.

This man deserved to be treated like he was something special, to be shown how much he was wanted and desired.It was about time someone loved and accepted him just for who he was—not what he could offer others.

"I want to taste you so bad," Briar promised, holding Derek's gaze and unsnapping the top button on his pants."Ever since that first night when I realized how beautifully you fill out your jeans."

Derek hissed as Briar opened his fly and released him.Briar let out an appreciative sigh, cupping his erection in both hands and playing with the impressive length.The head was plump and round, flushed a deep red hue, and already glistening in a way that made Briar's mouth water. Briar leaned closer, entranced, and ghosted his warm breath over the swollen tip.

He didn't think Derek was breathing.He seemed frozen, transfixed, as Briar parted his lips and swallowed him down.

"Fuck."Derek's breath gusted out of him all at once.

Briar let out a happy hum, tracing the engorged veins of the shaft with his tongue.The silky texture of Derek's skin against the roof of his mouth was intoxicating.Briar loved the taste of him, a unique combination of salt, sweat, and musk that set his blood aflame.His own arousal was growing with each passing second; his dick was leaking against the silky fabric of his underwear.But he didn't touch himself. It didn't even cross his mind.He was focused solely on Derek, anxious to fill him with so much pleasure that it somehow made up for the years of deprivation he'd suffered.

Even with his jaw stretched wide, he could still only fit half of Derek's shaft in his mouth, so he wrapped his fingers around the base and stroked in time with his suction.With his free hand, he fondled Derek"s heavy balls, gently rolling them between his fingers.He listened with satisfaction as Derek"s breath grew ragged.A raw, desperate moan kept catching in the back of Derek"s throat, driving him wild.

Derek"s fingers threaded through Briar"s hair, cradling his skull, but he didn't force Briar down.Briar could sense the restraint in his powerful hands; he could feel the tremors running through his arms.Without hesitation, Briar took a deep breath and consciously relaxed, wedging Derek's thick cock halfway down his throat.

"So deep, Briar," Derek gasped, his voice strained."Keep going."

Briar eagerly tried to obey, but he was already choking on it.His tongue was pinned by the pulsating girth.He couldn't even moan—couldn't make a sound apart from the sloppy wet noise as he dragged his mouth up and down Derek"s cock, faster and faster, until he could barely breathe.

Derek's thighs were trembling. Briar shoved Derek's t-shirt halfway up his chest to expose his flat stomach, smoothing his hand over his bronze, quivering abs. He wished desperately that he could reach the dusky peak of his exposed nipples.He wanted to explore every piece of him, show him what a miracle his body was and how sensitive it was to a man's touch.

A new challenge emerged, one that Briar was excited to explore.

He let go of Derek"s balls and reached further back, searching for the spot that would push him over the edge.His fingers stroked over the silky-smooth skin of Derek"s taint, dancing over the hyper-sensitive flesh that guarded his entrance.Derek"s reaction was immediate.He shouted, shuddering like he was about to break apart.

"Yes, right there," Derek panted, his voice cracking."Don"t stop, Briar, please."

Egged on by Derek"s passion, Briar increased his pace, his hand moving in rhythm with his mouth.He sucked and licked, reveling in the way Derek's shaft twitched and pulsed with each stroke.The taste of sweat, salt, and man filled his mouth, driving him wild with lust.

Derek's rough breathing grew louder.Veins stood out in stark relief all over his body, ridges mapping a path of desire beneath his skin.His pulse raced visibly in his throat, and his knuckles were white as he gripped the arms of the rocking chair.

With a final deep suck, Briar pulled off his cock.Derek's hips bucked, chasing him, but it was too late.His orgasm struck. His eyes widened, his breath hitched, and he cried out in a near-deafening roar as his climax surged.White-hot jets of come erupted, coating Briar"s face, neck, and chest in sticky, warm ropes.

Briar let out a satisfied moan.He couldn"t help himself. He felt powerful and victorious as he milked the last few drops from Derek's spent cock.He swiped at a smear of fluid that felt dangerously close to his eye and licked it from his fingertips, savoring the taste.

Derek watched him with greedy eyes.

"I've wanted to do that for you for so long," Briar said, grinningfiercely.His voice was shredded and his throat hurt, but he didn'tcare."Was itgood?"

"It was fantastic," Derek husked, grabbing Briar by the arms and tugging him up into his lap."But too quick. I'll last longer thistime."

Briar's eyes widened. "Y-you don't haveto—"

"Shhh,"Derek shushed him, nibbling on the tender line of hiscollarbone."I want to take my time now. I want to enjoyyou.Letme."

Of course, when he phrased it that way, Briar had nochoice.